Ski mat apparatus

ABSTRACT

Sliding surfaces having a plurality of annular, rigid strips with bristles extending uniformly upward, the strips being interconnected to form a continuous surface of upward directed bristles in annular rings, are described herein.

United States Patent [72] inventors John P. Horton Bernardsville; Robert E. Sollmann, Far Hills; Joaquim L. Santos, Harrison, N .J [2|] AppLNo. 792,909 [22] Filed Jan. 17, 1969 [45] Patented May4, 1971 [73] Assignee Ski-Morlnc.

Kenilworth, NJ.

Continuation of application Ser. No.

53,4 02, Mar. 22, 1966, now abandoned.

54 5x1 MATAPPARATUS 8 Claims, 14 Drawing Figs.

52 u.s.c1. 94/3,94/7, 94/l3,273/56.5 511 mu E010 5/00 [50] Field of Search 15/399; 273/565; 94/3.7

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,065,592 12/1936 Lofgren 15/599 3,415,172 12/1968 Hortonetal 94/3 FOREIGN PATENTS 522,309 3/1956 Canada 15/239 1,241,687 8/1960 France 94/2 Primary Examiner-Jacob L. Nackenoff Attorney-Littlepage, Quaintance, Wray & Aisenberg ABSTRACT: Sliding surfaces having a plurality of annular, rigid strips with bristles extending uniformly upward, the strips being interconnected to form a continuous Surface of upward directed bristles in annular rings, are described herein.

Patented May 4, 1971' 3,577,835

2 Sheets-Sheet 1 John PHar/an RoberfESa/lmann ATTORNEYJ z E f i INVENTORS Patented May 4, 1911 3,577,835

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORS John I? Horton Robert E. .S'o/lmann Joaqu/m LSantos ATTORNEYS SKI MAT APPARATUS This invention is a continuation of Ser. No. 536,402, filed Mar. 22, 1966, by John P. Horton, Robert E. Sollmann and .Ioaquim L. Santos, now abandoned.

This invention concerns artificial sliding surfaces commonly known as ski mats. More particularly, this invention concerns mats composed of interconnected elements having vertically upward projecting resilient portions which collectively form a skiing surface. Disclosed herein are novel discrete brushlike elements and improved fasteners for joining bases of a plurality of these elements and forming improved ski mats.

Artificial skiing surfaces have been described in US Pat. Nos. 2,254,482 and 3,047,292. I-Ieretofore, uneven terrain has caused difficulties in laying and in using mats. Variations in ground cause portions of mats to be raised, while other portions are loosely suspended above relatively depressed ground. Besides causing abrupt mat surface changes, rough ground causes undependable and latently dangerous mat areas. Protruding ends of mat elements along the edges of mats present serious hazards to skiers. Known mats have been difficult to align and join. And forming winding and divergent trails, slopes, ramps and walkways of varying widths has been impossible with the existing mats. Moreover, it has been difficult to repair small damaged sections in previously used mats.

The present invention provides small, discrete brushlike annular elements which are flexibly joined to many similar elements to form a ski mat. Variations in terrain cause no problem since the ringlike elements have isotropic characteristics which will conform the mat to its supporting surface. Elements may be added anywhere in a mat to accommodate it to the ground. Ends of the rings terminate in close proximity, rendering dangerous protrusions impossible. Where peripheries are discontinuous, ends may be fastened to adjacent elements in such a way that the ends present no danger to skiers. Moreover, since the elements and mats formed herefrom have no directional orientation, the mats have characteristics approaching those of snow.

Ski mats constructed of ring elements may be laid next to each other without special care for matching lateral or end portions. When mats intersect at angles, precisely fitted interconnecting sections may be constructed at the site. Consequently, an entire run may be constructed without time-consuming and difficult mat alignment, and an essentially uniform and consistent surface will result, free of any gaps or discontinuities.

The ring design provides a surface with small empty spaces, which more closely approaches a continuous brush surface than mats which now are used commercially. Smallness of the empty areas greatly improve safety on the slopes, since it reduces possibilities of a portion of a skiers body catching in one of the empty areas or on metal boundaries of the areas. The voids are too small to admit baskets of ski poles, hence danger from catching a pole is eliminated.

While the total bristle stiffness of a ski-supporting area of the present invention is sufficient for good skiing, the use of ring-shaped elements causes the specific stiffness of small areas to be less than the stiffness of areas of comparable size on existing mats. Thus, the surface of the present mat is softer to fall upon than the surface of known ski mats.

Mats readily may be extended or diminished. Annular elements allow fitting of odd-shaped ramps and walkways by simply adding or removing brushes to or from the mat. Upon moving the mats to new ski areas, the mats dimensions easily may be revised to new sizes and shapes. Since the removal and replacement of individual brush units is facilitated by the annular element design, if mats need repairs only the damaged areas need be replaced. Important in this consideration, which speed the assembling and disassembling of mats, and which provide required flexibility, are specially designed fasteners.

Throughout the specification the terms annular and ringlike are used to denote bent or curved elements, each of which defines a continuous or substantially continuous periphery or has opposite peripheral ends in close proximity. As defined herein, the terms annular and ringlike include triangular, square, circular, elliptical and irregular bodies. Closed-loop elements refer to these annular elements and'include doubleand multiple-looped bodies. Substantially continuous defines a body which may have a peripheral gap of up to one-quarter of the bodys circumference or periphery.

One objective of this invention is the provision of annular ski-supporting elements having resilient bristles projecting vertically upward therefrom. This invention has as another objective the provision of novel fasteners for attaching annular elements to adjacent elements. Another objective of this invention is the provision of ski mats constructed from a plurality of flexibly interconnected annular brush elements.

Further objectives of this invention will be apparent from the specification and from the drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view. of a portion of a ski mat con structed from annular brush elements, one of which has a peripheral gap;

FIG. 2 is a schematic representation of assembled mat element;

FIG. 3 illustrates an alternate elliptical embodiment of a brush element;

FIG. 4 reveals a square embodiment of an element;

FIG. 5 discloses an octagonal-shaped element, which is representative of diverse polygonal shapes in which elements may be constructed;

FIG. 6 is an alternate double-loop embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 7 is a schematic detail of FIG. 1 illustrative proximity of ends of a preferred mat element;

FIG. 8 represents an alternate embodiment in which 0pposite ends are abutted and retained;

FIG. 9 is a preferred form of a fastener;

FIG. 10 through 14 illustrate fasteners which may be used for connecting mat elements.

Referring to FIG. 1, the numeral 10 generally designates circular brush elements. Channels 11 may be constructed from elongated rigid stock having U-shaped cross sections, with base I6 and sides 12 and 14. Bristles 20 are laid atop an upward opening in U-shaped channel II and are drawn towards base I6 with wire 30. After bristles have been drawn in the channel, sides 12 and 14 are crimped together, permanently holding bristles therein. The channels then may be cut in appropriate lengths and bent to form elements 10.

In the circular embodiment shown in FIG. I, diameters may vary from 2 to 9 inches; preferably, the elements are 4 inches across. Elements 10 are flexibly interconnected by a stiff wire hog ring fastener 100 which is shown in detail in FIG. 9.

Circular elements 10, illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 may be replaced by elliptical elements 50 shown in FIG. 3. A preferred ellipse has a 7-inch major axis and a Zfi-inch minor axis. Elliptical elements may be constructed with major axes up to and even exceeding 36 inches. Other suggested mat element embodiments are shown in FIGS. 4 through 6. Square elements provide consistent double brush thickness over the surface of a mat, while octagonal elements 70 have operational characteristics similar to circular elements 10. S or figure-8shaped elements also provide good skiing characteristics.

Ends of individual closed-loop elements may be butted or spaced. Butted ends eliminate chances of catching skiers or equipment, while the open ends shown in FIG. 7 may be easier to construct and may provide additional stretching and twisting flexibility in assembled mats. Alternatively, ends 19 and 18 may be abutted and clamped with a U-shapedretaining member, as shown in FIG. 8.

FIG. 9 is a detail of the hog ring fastener used to link brush elements into a mat. Ends 106 are beveled to form a smooth overlapping joint when fastener 100 is closed. A- clip fastener 110, shown in FIG. 10, has a medial convergent portion I15 between remote loops for separating adjacent brush elements. Clip 110 permits somewhat greater mat flexibility than hog ring fasteners I00, and depressed medial portion facilitates anchoring or staking the mat to the ground.

Another fastener 120, shown in FIG. 11, employs a channel base I22 having sides 124, which define opposing holes to receive pin 126. In FIG. 12, numeral 130 generally designates a fastener comprising base 132, which has an inverted T- shaped cross section, and pin 136, which slides through central leg 134 of the base. Fastener 140 employs a T-shaped base and a U-shaped pin as described in FIG. 13. Appearing in FIG. 14, is an alternate fastener embodiment; clip 150 may engage corresponding lugs 152 which depend from base 16 of the brush element.

Although this invention has been disclosed and described by specific embodiment, many other applications are apparent within the spirit and teaching of the invention. Therefore, the scope of the invention is defined precisely only in the following claims.

We claim:

1. Improved sliding surface apparatus comprising a plurality of individual closed-loop elements assembled in side-by-side relation, each of said elements comprising a continuous base portion with upward projecting bristles projecting above said base portion, said base portions being flexibly-connected to conform to a supporting surface.

2. Apparatus of claim 1 wherein the base portions are channel-shaped.

3. Apparatus of claim 1 wherein each of said elements has an arcuate periphery. I

4. Apparatus of claim I wherein each of said elements has an angular periphery.

5. Apparatus of claim 1 wherein each of said elements has a double circular figure-8-shape.

6. Apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a plurality of fasteners laterally connecting each of said elements to more than one adjacent elements, thereby forming a mat.

7. Apparatus of claim 6 wherein each of said fasteners comprises a bottom portion underlying'corresponding sections of adjacent elements and having upward extension means integrally formed with the bottom portion and extending above the elements, and a pin portion connected to said bottom portion and overlying said corresponding sections of adjacent elements.

8. Apparatus of claim 6 wherein said elements further comprise depending lugs, and wherein said fasteners comprise clips engaging corresponding lugs of adjacent elements. 

1. Improved sliding surface apparatus comprising a plurality of individual closed-loop elements assembled in side-by-side relation, each of said elements comprising a continuous base portion with upward projecting bristles projecting above said base portion, said base portions being flexibly connected to conform to a supporting surface.
 2. Apparatus of claim 1 wherein the base portions are channel-shaped.
 3. Apparatus of claim 1 wherein each of said elements has an arcuate periphery.
 4. Apparatus of claim 1 wherein each of said elements has an angular periphery.
 5. Apparatus of claim 1 wherein each of said elements has a double circular figure-8-shape.
 6. Apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a plurality of fasteners laterally connecting each of said elements to more than one adjacent elements, thereby forming a mat.
 7. Apparatus of claim 6 wherein each of said fasteners comprises a bottom portion underlying corresponding sections of adjacent elements and having upward extension means integrally formed with the bottom portion and extending above the elements, and a pin portion connected to said bottom portion and overlying said corresponding sections of adjacent elements.
 8. Apparatus of claim 6 wherein said elements further comprise depending lugs, and wherein said fasteners comprise clips engaging corresponding lugs of adjacent elements. 